Effects of phosphates and salt in ground raw and cooked farmed cod (Gadus morhua) muscle studied by the water holding capacity (WHC), and supported by P-NMR measurements.

A model system consisting of ground farmed cod muscle (80%, w/w) and added brine (20%, w/w) with different content and combinations of salt (0% and 3% in brine) and phosphorus compounds (mono-, di-, tri- and hexametaphosphates; 0% and 3% in brine) was used to simulate industrial brining of muscle foods. Individual phosphorus component concentrations and breakdown as function of time (0, 23 h) were analyzed using (31)P-NMR spectroscopy. The effects of salt and phosphate on water holding capacity (WHC) were measured at similar sampling times, and interrelations between phosphorous components determined by NMR and WHC were established. Addition of salt led to a significant increase (+18%) in WHC, and the combined effect of salt and phosphates was even more pronounced (+29%). The positive effect of triphosphate and salt on WHC was also seen after cooking (+36% in raw and +41% in cooked cod muscle, relative to control), although NMR analysis showed a rapid breakdown of di- and triphosphates.

Erythropoietic activity and interferon production in LCM virus-infected nude mice.

The distinct haemopoietic lesions induced in ordinary mice during acut LCM virus infection are not mediated either by immunopathological mechanisms or by a direct cytopathogenetic effect of the virus. Medication has recently been artibuted to the high interferon activity found in mice with acute LCM virus infection. In this work, erythropoietic activity and interferon production have been studied in LCM virus-infected nude mice. Compared with ordinary mice, nude mice displayed a more moderate suppression of erythropoiesis and a very poor interferon response. Erythropoietic activity of thymus-transplanted nude mice was not significantly suppressed during the infection, and interferon responsiveness was not restored either by thymus-transplantation or by transfer of large numbers of spleen lymphocytes. The observations support the hypothesis that interferon plays a decisive role in the induction of haemopoietic diorders of mice with acute LCM virus infection. The puzzling question as to why nude mice and reconstituted nude mice are incapable of mounting a normal interferon response is discussed briefly.